ACTION ALERT: Further Action Needed to Pass NY Shark Fin Ban!

New York State residents only: Your help is needed to move the New York shark fin ban bill forward. The bill (A.7707a/S.6431) now needs the support from Commissioner Martens of the NY Department of Environmental Conservation before the legislative Environmental Conservation Committee will consider it for a vote.

We are running out of time: the NY legislative session ends in June. Commissioner Martens has not yet acted on the bill and we need to get the bill moving now or it may not reach the floor of the legislature for a vote this year.

Commissioner Martens has been asked to suggest rewording of the bill to accommodate the shark fishery. This could include the continued trade or export of the fins of certain shark species, such as the spiny dogfish. Shark Savers has urged Commissioner Martens to support the complete ban of the shark fin trade in New York State.

Or, send him a letter Commissioner Joe Martens New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 BroadwayAlbany, NY 12233-1010

The shark fin trade is by far the leading reason why sharks populations are being decimated in worldwide oceans. Sharks, as apex predators, are critical to maintaining ecological balance in the oceans and their loss can have devastating impacts on ocean health and supply of seafood, and even the fisheries.

New York should not be a part of this destructive trade and we should not provide exemptions to allow the trade or export of some fins that would undermine the effectiveness of a shark fin ban.